The Patriotic Alliance (PA) has shaken up the political landscape by confirming its intention to withdraw from all coalition agreements with immediate effect, and to begin the process of pulling out of the National Government of Unity (GNU).
PA leader Gayton McKenzie said the decision stems from a lack of respect for his party in coalition arrangements and in national governance.
“We are not considering it. We are withdrawing from our relationship in coalitions, and immediately after that, we are going to start the process of withdrawing from the National Government of Unity (GNU),” McKenzie declared. “With the GNU you sign that if you are unhappy, there are processes that you follow. The coalitions, we didn’t sign that. So we are leaving immediately from the coalitions, and we’re giving an intention to withdraw from the GNU simply because we want to be respected.”
McKenzie accused Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero of sidelining PA representatives and failing to deliver basic services. “We can’t be ill-treated like people such as City of Joburg Mayor Dada Morero, who can’t even give our people water. He’s got something against us, and we see it in how we treat the people of Westbury (recently locals had been staging service delivery protests to have access to water). We are not here for positions. I will go back and go to the ground, and we’ll see what the future holds,” he added.
The GNU was formed in the wake of the 2024 general elections to stabilise governance. Its members currently include the African National Congress (ANC), Democratic Alliance (DA), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Patriotic Alliance (PA), GOOD Party, and Freedom Front Plus (FF+), among others.
If the PA withdraws, it will become the first major party to formally break ranks with the unity government. Analysts warn this could embolden other dissatisfied partners and weaken President Cyril Ramaphosa’s attempts to portray the GNU as a vehicle of stability.
In municipalities such as Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni, where coalition governments are notoriously fragile, the PA’s exit could trigger a fresh round of political instability and potential motions of no confidence.
The PA’s announcement has sparked strong reactions among ordinary South Africans. One X user remarked:
“They’re issuing an ultimatum to the GNU. Wait, didn’t Kenny Kunene resign voluntarily to clear his name? At least, the PA should inform the public that there was a condition to that resignation, but going around scaring its partners with threats of withdrawal isn’t good conduct.”
Another user criticised the state of local governance:
“Patriotic Alliance is part of the government in Johannesburg, right now. PA, ActionSA and ANC have failed. We are fully behind Helen Zille.”
Meanwhile, the party has sought to put internal controversies behind it. PA Deputy President Kenny Kunene, who had been suspended earlier this year over allegations of links to a suspect arrested in the killing of popular DJ Sumbody, has now been cleared of any wrongdoing.
The party confirmed that the probe, conducted by law firm Cliff Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH), found no evidence of misconduct.
“The investigation was conducted by the law firm Cliff Dekker Hofmeyr, whose mandate was to investigate reasons why Deputy President Kenny Kunene was at Katiso ‘KT’ Molefe’s home when the businessman was arrested. The report has cleared him of any wrongdoing, and the PA accepts the findings in full,” the party said in a statement.
Kunene’s exoneration may strengthen McKenzie’s hand as the PA navigates its next political chapter. But with the party preparing to abandon both local coalitions and the GNU, South Africa’s already volatile political environment is heading into even stormier waters.
